The First Flight
by Ebil Chameleon
Summary: Pipit and Link have their first face-to-face meeting when Link calls for this Loftwing for the first time. -oneshot-


**I kinda like this fandom XD**

**Disclaimer: Nothing but the plot is mine.**

**Rating: K**

**Pairing: Pipit/Link (for the series as a whole, not necessarily for each story)**

**Warnings: Groose trying to flirt. That is all.**

**I've decided, since I got a positive response from my other PXL story, to create a one-shot series about Link and Pipit's relationship. How it started and where it's going. Please be patient, as I am in school. I don't know how often things will be posted!**

**Another note: I understand how Link was supposed to be all graceful and whatnot when he first met his Loftwing, and for the most part he is here. But well, I imaged things to be a bit different than how they were described in the game :3**

**Please enjoy and happy reading!**

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><p>A petty thing, perhaps, but he couldn't stop fussing with his tunic. Every time he looked down, he was convinced there was a crease that made his entire being appear to be sloppily put together and on a day like today, he couldn't have that. No, today he had been assigned the honor of assisting Professors Owlan and Horwell as the new first year academy students were allowed to call for their Loftwings for the first time.<p>

He felt good, standing beneath the Statue of the Goddess in his new yellow tunic. He was sure his pride was overflowing, but he couldn't care less. The Headmaster said he should be proud of his performance at the Wing Ceremony and damnit, he was! Pipit didn't have much as far as material possessions but he certainly had pride in what he did and the skills that he claimed. He wanted today to be perfect, wanted the young cadets to revere at the guy who performed amazingly at the Wing Ceremony.

He rubbed his nose and chuckled. Professor Owlan gave him a side-long glance, standing poised as always, and smiled.

Pipit turned back to straightening his tunic when they finally arrived. Led in by Professor Horwell and a trotting Mia, the small group of students followed closely behind, ranging from nervous to positively excited. Pipit couldn't pull any particular names out of the crowd with the exception of Zelda, the Headmaster's daughter, and he figured this would only be right. He could recognize some of the faces he saw but couldn't bring up names to match. He hadn't talked to the younger students all that much and stuck with his own class merely due to age and similar duties and classes.

"I hope you're all ready for today," Professor Owlan started. Pipit straightened his posture immediately, as though the students were all listening to him. He peeked down at his tunic quickly (no wrinkles) and then glanced back up. The students seemed to be listening intently, surprising for the early morning hour. Pipit himself was exhausted from a night of patrol and only a few meager hours of sleep, but there was no chance he would ever miss this day, this opportunity. He was good at faking a peppy spirit.

Professor Owlan was going on in his speech about Loftwings, the birds given by the Goddess and how, after the first flight together, they became a part of oneself, like a good friend or sibling. There was to be a bond of trust between human and Loftwing and that would be the crucial element at play today.

Pipit smiled as he thought of flying on his Loftwing. He'd been so happy when he had whistled for the first time and the anxious feeling of waiting for the bird to respond had made him hop in place to calm to butterflies in his stomach. He was one of the very few to have his Loftwing come on the first whistle and when he showed up, Pipit's mind had been blown. He had always anticipated the day he got his Loftwing, thought of his father flying around on his own. He had been an envious child, wanting to fly on his own and not sitting in front of his father. He hadn't known the feeling then of what it was like to be connected to the bird in flight.

So when his mossy green colored Loftwing swooped down, he had felt like he was going to collapse. He had been too excited for his own good and he'd heard the snickers behind his back as he jumped from foot to foot and clapped his hands. "It even has freckles like you, Pipit!" one of his classmates had said. True enough there was a light dusting of spots over the bird's beak and when he saw that, Pipit knew flying and Loftwings were what he was made for.

Coming out of his daydreaming, Pipit realized that Professor Horwell had taken over. "So, one at a time, Professor Owlan will call each student's name and he or she will approach the base of the statue. A silent prayer to the Goddess for your Loftwing is always recommended. Then you will give a good loud whistle and we'll wait to see what happens. Don't be alarmed if you don't get a response on the first try. This is common. It may take a few tries, but be assured, your Loftwing will come."

The little rascals, Pipit thought when he noticed them getting antsy. Zelda was looking around, kept swiveling her head towards the archway leading towards the stairs and sending the bulky kid with odd hair a soft glare every time he tried talking to her. The other's shifted in their spots. Pipit could remember the feeling. He respected his professors but he knew on this particular day, any student believed that they talked too much.

That was when the sound of rushed footsteps could be heard. Several students turned around and even Professor Owlan stretched a little to see. He must have gotten a glimpse because he shook his head with a small smile. The small crowd seemed to break apart slightly as a newcomer pushed his way through. Pipit frowned, thinking it a bit rude to suddenly barge in, late at that, and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't want any trouble being caused on this exciting day. Professor Horwell took notice to the new student and stopped mid speech about the precautions to take when flying on one's Loftwing. "It's nice of you to join us this morning, Link. I was certain the announcement read for everyone to gather outside the upper entrance at 8 A.M.?"

Pipit, finding Link now standing beside Zelda, recognized the boy's face as one he'd seen only a handful of times. He'd never known his name. He had seen him with Zelda quite often. The girl was leaning towards him now, looking as though she were reprimanding him. "Sorry, professor," Link said quietly. The boy scratched at his chin and kept his eyes down but offered a smile in apology regardless.

Professor Horwell nodded, obviously excusing the small distraction. "Zelda, please inform Link on what's been said already."

Link looked to have just crawled out of bed. Ruffled hair, half-lidded eyes, wrinkled shirt that could have very well been worn yesterday. Pipit tugged at the bottom of his tunic. He felt a sort of resentment towards Link who must have slept more than him yet still arrived late and disheveled and was excused with only a warning. Zelda didn't appear to be happy and Link appeared to be blatantly ignoring her. He didn't acknowledge what the girl was attempting to tell him and looked to be intently focused on the professor's words instead. The girl finally gave up with a roll of her eyes and a shove at Link's arm. Pipit could see him smirking.

"Now, everyone, "Professor Owlan spoke, "feel free to ask Professor Horwell any questions while you wait your turn. Also, we have Pipit here. I'm sure you all remember that he has just recently won this year's Wing Ceremony. Please, question him as well. Sometimes an answer from a fellow student is easier to follow than one from a professor." And with that, Professor Owlan called out to the first student, a small nervous girl with dark hair who kept wringing her hands.

It felt good to be acknowledged, Pipit thought as he approached the group. They all seemed to be watching in awe as the girl of the moment stood before Goddess Statue and whistled. Pipit couldn't help but smile at their faces, see the anticipation and a few slack jaws. Ah, the nostalgia.

It had taken the girl a few tries, and as the minutes ticked by her face was falling quickly. But it happened, and the yellow bird swooped down from the clouds above, landing before the girl and observing her with large curious eyes. The girl was doing the same, obviously amazed and a round of applause and startled gasps sounded from the students.

"Excuse me, Pipit?" To his left the voice came and Pipit found Zelda smiling up at him. Link, standing beside her, yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Is it really so uncommon for a Loftwing to come on the first whistle?"

She seemed nervous, Pipit decided, and wondered if it had anything to do with her being the Headmaster's daughter. Obviously such a status and how long it took for her Loftwing to respond had nothing to do with each other. He wondered if she were feeling as though she was expected to be successful on the first try.

"Well," Pipit said, "there were ten of us in my class. Only three people had their Loftwing come on the first whistle," he grinned, proud that he was able to suppress that he was one of the lucky three. Bragging wasn't attractive, he reminded himself, no matter how proud of your accomplishment you are. "So if you're hoping to get it in one shot, the odds are stacked against you."

The girl seemed to grow even more nervous and Pipit wondered if he should have lied. No, he couldn't condone lying.

"You're worrying over nothing," Link finally said. Zelda turned, sending Link a half-hearted glare. He stuck his tongue out at the girl. "Really, Zelda. No one expects to get it on their first try. You should stop worrying and get excited."

"Just because you're so lax about everything, Sleepyhead, doesn't mean the rest of us should be. Besides, my dad called his Loftwing on his first try. I want to do the same."

Link rolled his eyes. Zelda pouted. Pipit couldn't help but chuckle at the exchange. He'd never had a close friend like these two had in each other and he found that he might have been thoroughly annoyed with that person if they acted like these two.

"Zelda! You're next!"

The poor girl physically paled. Link laughed and gave her a small shove forward, causing her to trip over her boots. "Good luck," he remarked with a grin. She gave a sort-of smile in return.

Pipit and Link stood side-by-side as they watched the girl approached the statue and look up at the Goddess. Then she bowed her head in prayer for a moment. Finally, Pipit saw her shoulders square as she picked her head up and turn around to face everyone. She took a deep breath and put her fingers in her mouth, giving a sharp, loud whistle. Seconds passed and everyone stood silent, waiting. Tick-tock, tick-tock. Pipit felt nervous for her. More than a minute passed and Owlan spoke, "Try again, Zelda." The girl's shoulders fell, obviously disappointed and she whistled again.

"She thinks she has to be prefect in everything," Link commented. He watched his friend intently, frowning a bit. "It's a little ridiculous, if you ask me. She's just setting herself up for disappointment."

Pipit looked down at the mess of blonde hair and wondered how someone really could be so lax and want to be a knight. Pipit didn't exactly strive for perfection himself, but he did strive for something like it. He did his best to work as hard as he could and put in good effort. Link, disheveled, bed-head Link, looked as though the "hard work" was nothing more than an inconvenience.

Stop, Pipit berated himself, you're judging someone you don't know. But he couldn't help it. The too relaxed posture, the bored look on his face, the fact that he overslept (and Pipit had this feeling that this hadn't been the first time) just painted a picture of Link. Pipit shook his head and decided that he just wouldn't think on any of it. There was no reason to struggle with himself over a boy he'd likely not talk too often or at all again after today.

"Whoa!"

There before Zelda was a violet colored bird, both human and Loftwing staring at the other in wonder. Zelda took a few brave steps forward, slow as they had been instructed, and stretched one small hand forward. Her Loftwing seemed to hesitate for only a moment before accepting her touch and nuzzled its beak into her hand. A brilliant smile shone on her face and she boldly stepped closer, petting her Loftwing's neck then nuzzled its beak with her cheek.

Pipit was applauding with the rest of the group while Link just smirked, shaking his head at his friend's obvious happiness. "Worrier," he muttered quietly.

"Alright, Link! You're up!"

Pipit actually found himself feeling a little surprised when Link gave a small smile and eagerly stepped forward. Judging by the boy's appearance, he didn't seem to be entirely thrilled with the events of today. Perhaps, Pipit mused, he was still sleepy. He hoped, at least. It was heartbreaking to think that someone could actually _not_ be excited to get their Loftwing. It was a day of recognition, like a coming of age ceremony. With your Loftwing came a new freedom that stretched out beyond the Isle of Skyloft.

Link was an odd one, he thought, and Pipit watched intently as the boy finished his silent prayer and faced the crowd. He looked up towards the sky and gave a loud whistle that resonated.

Pipit expected the minute to come by before he would have to whistle again. What actually happened left him and everyone else stuck and speechless.

The obvious sound of a bird call rent the air and no more than a few seconds after Link had whistled did the crimson bird drop from the sky and land before Link. There was no moment of curious staring. The bird, instead, seemed insistent on connecting with Link.

But Pipit was too astonished to even register what was happening. All he could see were the beautiful red feathers of the bird, a bird thought to be extinct. "How…?"

"This is amazing!" Professor Horwell gasped out loud. The man looked close to tears and he was quickly approaching Link and his Loftwing. The bird, however, seemed to be eager for something. It stood before Link, nudging him with its beak, nipping at his shirt and its head kept swinging back, almost as though motioning towards its back.

"Link!" Zelda was racing forward, leaving her purple Loftwing's side.

But before anyone could approach the boy, his Loftwing finally lowered its head and lifted Link up where he gave a shout of surprise and fell unceremoniously on the bird's back. The Loftwing didn't even allow the boy time to adjust and took off at a swift run, its wings flapping when in the clearing behind the statue and before anyone could do anything to stop it, Link and his Loftwing were off flying in the sky in a crimson blur.

The students were stunned silent. "Pipit! After him! Get him back here!" Professor Orwell shouted. Pipit took off before the sentence had been finished and raced towards the diving platform behind the statue. He dove off the edge of the island, whistled and fell perfectly onto the back of his green Loftwing.

There was no time to revel in the feeling of wind surrounding his body. Pipit's knight instincts were on full alert and he looked around, scanning the clouds for Link and his Loftwing. Not a difficult task, he thought, seeing as Link's new Loftwing was brightly colored. But how a crimson Loftwing suddenly appeared before the sleepy kid, Pipit couldn't understand. Weren't they…extinct? A miracle, he thought, or perhaps a fairly odd dream. If he didn't have the feel of his Loftwing moving beneath him, he might not believe today was even real. He could still be sleeping, for all he knew.

But there, off to the right and a distance away, Pipit could see the dot of red and he signaled his Loftwing to turn and speed off toward it. He found that catching up to the rogue bird was harder than he had thought. A kid enjoying his first Loftwing ride couldn't possibly outfly him, right? But it seemed that either the bird was a superb flyer without instruction, or Link was a natural born Loftwing rider. Pipit couldn't believe the way the bird before him moved, and he hurried forward, urging his own bird to speed up.

"Link!" Pipit shouted when he finally caught up. He could feel his Loftwing struggling to keep pace with the other. "Lean in the direction you want your Loftwing to fly! You set the path, don't let it take over! Try and get it to fly back to the island!"

Link, who seemed to be having the time of his life, only nodded and leaned to the left as Pipit did the same. Both birds swooped to the left in sync and then straightened out as their riders did. Link looked over to Pipit, grinning and his eyes shone with obvious enthusiasm. Pipit could only shake his head a smirk, amazed how natural flying seemed to be to Link. The boy leaned forward on his bird, laying himself almost flat and the Loftwing sped forward, putting distance between itself and Pipit's bird. Taking this as a challenge, Pipit mimicked Link's actions and placed his forehead against the bird's tuff of feathers affectionately. "Let's go," he said to the bird, putting all his trust and encouragement in his words. In a flash of green they darted forward, the wind threatening to strip Pipit of his hat. He held onto his bird tightly and laughed aloud as they approached Link. Pipit sat back and gently tugged at his Loftwing's neck. The bird soared up and he was suddenly flying above Link. He flew over the boy for a moment, saw Link look behind him only to look confused.

Pipit then leaned forward sharply and they were flying straight down, cutting right in front of Link who gave a startled shout when his Loftwing let out a cry and veered quickly to the left. Laughing, Pipit signaled to his Loftwing to move closer to Link and he smirked at the blonde who glared back. "Let's get back before they worry." With that, Pipit sped forward to the rapidly approaching island.

He flew over the Isle of the Goddess, looked back to find Link following him, and motioned for his Loftwing to descend. His bird flapped its wings forward to slow itself and it touched down to the ground before the Goddess statue. Link followed up behind and Pipit noticed that he hadn't gotten his Loftwing to slow down enough. The crimson bird flapped its wings forward and came to a jarring halt on the ground, sending Link flying forward where he face planting into the ground. Laughter rang from the other students but when Pipit knelt down beside Link to help him up, the blonde looked as though he couldn't care less of the other's laughter. He grinned, wide and bright, and breathed, "So cool."

Pipit laughed this time and Zelda ran up to the pair, falling to her knees in front of Link. "Well," she said smirking. Her eyes roamed over the crimson Loftwing. "I think we found your new alarm clock."

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><p><strong>What a slightly odd ending, lol. <strong>

**Review?**


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